There's an app for that: Must-haves for Lowcountry booklovers

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 08/21/2013 - 12:12pm

In our fast-paced, high-tech, super-sized society, apps on mobile devices keep busy Americans in the know while they're on the go. In a recent report ("Smartphone Ownership 2013") Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project estimates that 56 percent of all American adults own and use smartphones. Similarly, Pew's "Tablet Ownership 2013" report finds that a third of American adults say they own a tablet computer.

With more than half the population using mobile devices, the app marketplace is teeming with apps for nearly every interest imaginable. From book reviews to recipe instructions and fitness trackers to news feeds, mobile apps literally deliver information resources wherever you go.

APPS FOR eBooks

Ever increasing in popularity, eBooks continue to be a top request. Popular eBook apps such as Kindle, Nook, and iBooks offer limited selection of free eBooks. For the eBook user searching for eBooks to download at no charge, there are several apps from which to choose.

With an active library card, Beaufort County residents have access to titles within the 3M Cloud Library app. Once registered with a username and password, users may browse and download the available eBooks for free through the 3M Cloud Library app or the 3M Cloud Library website.

For iPad users, ICDL free eBooks for children offers a collection of international children's literature for free. Supported by the University of Maryland's Human-Computer Interaction Lab and the International Children's Digital Library Foundation, ICDL free eBooks for children hosts thousands of children's books from across the globe.

By definition, the term "fan fiction" applies to stories about characters or settings from literature, movies and television shows written by fans rather than by the original creator. The FanFiction app brings the content of www.fanfiction.net, the Internet's largest and most popular fan fiction website, to your mobile device.

Teens, parents, educators and librarians can benefit from the expertise of YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) book recommendations for teen readers. As an added bonus, their "Find it!" feature shows where specific titles are in a nearby library.

Enjoy picking up a printed copy of BookPage every month at your library? With the BookPage app, every issue is delivered straight to your mobile device. Browse monthly book reviews, author interviews and feature articles on your device at anytime from anywhere.

APPS RELATED TO BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY ONLINE RESOURCES

Librarians have long proclaimed that a library is much more than a building stocked with books. Several Beaufort County library online resources also offer apps for mobile computing.

Beaufort County library members may browse, check out, and download titles within the OneClick Digital audiobook collection at no charge. The app allows users to browse and download OneClick Digital audiobooks directly to their device without needing to transfer from a computer. To use the app, interested users will need to set up an account with OneClick Digital from the Beaufort County library's audiobook website.

Take language learning on the go with the BYKI mobile app by Transparent Language. Many Beaufort County library cardholders have already registered to use Before You Know It language learning web portal, a free, online language learning program. To download the mobile app, first log into the BYKI website and click "Go Mobile" on the menu bar. Follow the on-screen prompts to get a code for downloading the app.